From the Acting CEO

Part of the change has been to split the roles of EPA Chair and CEO. As such, we warmly welcomed Carolyn Walsh to the position of Acting Chair of the EPA’s Board on 1 July, while I am very pleased to continue as Acting CEO of the EPA.

Carolyn is a regulation, risk and safety expert. She has a special focus on engaging with our stakeholders and has already spent considerable time in and out of the office getting to know our work and our stakeholders.

The EPA published its tri-annual State of Environment Report in May. For the first time the report was published on the EPA’s new, interactive and innovative purpose-built website. It is an immensely important report which features the progress, outcomes and lessons learnt on many key environmental areas. If you haven’t already seen the report, I invite you to take a look here.

Another recent highlight for me was accompanying our Environment Minister Matt Kean to Eastern Creek Recycling Centre to mark the 2 billionth container returned under Return and Earn.

In this edition we look at the success of Return and Earn, the great environmental work by two schools as part of the Take Me Outside program, recognition from the NSW Police for the EPA’s dangerous goods training, an innovative community approach to air quality monitoring in the Blue Mountains, progress on the 20-year Waste Strategy and many more initiatives and regulatory actions.

We also feature the ways that EPA staff champion sustainable practices every day.

You might even see a familiar face in our Community Noticeboard section. I enjoyed participating in the CEO sleepout, St Vincent de Paul‘s annual fundraiser in June. A very worthwhile (and chilly) experience to raise awareness and funds for the homeless.

Mark Gifford PSM
Acting Chief Executive Officer, NSW EPA